Combined car and air-brake coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. THOMAS. COMBINED GAR AND AIR BRAKE GOUPLING.

No. 581,891. x Patented May4,1897.

(No Model.) v 4 2 Sheet-Sheet 2.

J. B. THOMAS. COMBINED CAR AND AR BRAKE GOUPLING. No. 581,891.

' Patented `Many 4, 189'?.

JAMES BRYANT THOMAS,

FFICF@ Fnrnivr OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED CAR AND AIR-BRAK COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,891, dated May 4,1897A.

Application filed July 11, 1896. Serial No. 598,882. (No model.)

" To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BRYANT THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulCombined Oar and Air Brake Coupling, of which the following is aspecilication. 4

This invention relates to combined car and air-brake couplings.

The main and primary object of the present invention is to provide a newand useful improvement in connection with combined car and air-brakecouplings whereby the automatic air-brake coupling heads or shoes shallmore readily and positively couple and uncouple without the expenditureof the eX- cessive force usually required to operate couplings of thischaracter, and especially those of the type employing heavy bowedclamping-springs.

The invention, therefore, primarily contemplates a pneumaticspring-adjusting de- Vice for automatic air-brake coupling heads orshoes employing clamping-springs, whereby such springs will readily openand close in the act of coupling' and uncoupling without dependingentirely upon their resiliency, which by the present invention is made asecondary consideration.

In connection with the combined car and air-brake coupling the inventionfurther contemplates new and useful means for controlling the usualcut-off Valves from either side of the car, and thereby greatlyfacilitating the use of the air-brake couplings, the use of whichheretofore has been hampered by the attendants having to go between andentirely under the cars to operate these valves for opening and closingthe line of communication through the train-pipe.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the in vention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a combined car andair-brake coupling equipped with the improvements contemplated by thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a pair ofthe companion air-brake coupling heads or shoes coupled together. Fig. 3is an outer side view or elevation of one of the air-brake couplingheads or shoes. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4 4 ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the piston-plate. Fig. (iis a bottom plan view of two cars equipped with combined car andair-brake couplings and the valve controlling or operating mechanismcontemplated by this invention. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View onthe line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. S is a similar view on the line S 8 of Fig.7. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View on the line 9 9 of Fig. S. Fig. l()is a horizontal sectional View of the 0rdinary cut-olf valve inconnection with which the valve-controlling mechanism is employed. Fig.ll is a detail elevation of one of the adjusting sprocket-wheelsarranged at opposite sides of the cars.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

the numeral 1 designates an ordinary car# coupling head at the front endof the Vusual draw-bar 2, and arranged directly below and in verticalalinement with the car-coupling head l is the automatic air-brakecoupling head or shoe 3, to the outer side of which head or shoe isconnected the usual train-pipe 4. The automatic air-brake coupling heador shoe 3 is employed in the same manner as the air-brake coupling-headdisclosed in my former patent, No. 481,984, and is preferablyA of thattype illustrated in Patent No. 526,119. The said automatic air-brakecoupling head or shoe 3 is adapted to automatically couple and uncouplewith a companion head or shoe in the usual way, and the train-pipe 4,which is connected to the outer side of the coupling head or shoe 3, isfitted in the outer end of the Huid-passage 5, extending through thehead or shoe, and having fitted in its inner end the ordinary gasket 6,which projects beyond the plane of the inner coupling-face of the heador shoe to form an air-tight joint with the .gasket of the companionhead or shoe, as is well understood. The said air-brake coupling head orshoe 3 is suspended from the draw-bar 2 of the car-coupling head l bymeans of a self-adjusting hanging device 7, which forms no part of thepresent invention and requires no further description, as it simplysubserves the function of supporting the air-brake coupling head or shoedirectly under and in vertical alinement with the car- .coupling head1., which, it will be understood,

is of an automatic type.

The air-brake coupling head or shoe 3 is provided with a beveled frontend 8, a recessed outer side 9, having flared guidingflanges 10, and atits inner end the said head or shoe 3 carries a bowed clampin g-sprin g11, the front end of which spring lis provided with an offstandingguide-tongue 12, disposed opposite and projecting outwardly from theinner coupling-face of the head or shoe 3. The `guide-tongue 12 of thespring 11 is adapted to ride in engagement with the recessed flangedouter side 9 of the companion head or shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, so as to guide the two air-brake coupling heads or shoestogether and insure their tight interlocking connection, as fullydescribed in the patents herein referred to.

Heretofore in using the bowed clampingsprings 11 it has been necessaryto construct said springs sufficiently heavy to withstand the jarringand strain placed thereon, while at the same time to make them ofsufficient resiliency to open and close in the coupling and uncouplingof the heads or shoes, but in securing these two results the springsnecessarily have been so stiff as to require a tremendous force to openand close the same in the coupling and uncoupling of the cars, and toovercome this serious objection to the use of the clamping-spring 11 thepresent invention contemplates a pneumatic adjusting device and cushionfor the said springs and which will now be particularly referred to.Each automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe 3 is provided in its outerside and at the rear end thereof with a circular air-chamber 13, open atits outer side and communicating at its inner closed side with one endof an air-port 14, piercing the head or shoe 3, and communicating at itsother end with the 'li uidpassage 5 therethrough, so that when companionheads or shoes 3 are coupled together the same pressure of air whichexists in the train-pipes of the system and in the iiuidpassages 5 ofthe coupling heads or shoes will also exist in the air -chambers 13 ofsuch heads or shoes.

The air-chamber 13 in each coupling head or shoe 3 loosely receivestherein the circular piston projection 15, projected from one side of amovable piston-plate 16, arranged to work at one side of the head orshoe, and said piston-plate 16 and its piston projection 15 are piercedwith abolt-opening 17, which receives the combined clamping and guidebolt 18, the inner end of which bolt serves to clamp a rubberpacking-cup 19 against the inner side of the piston projection 15, andthe outer end of said bolt 18 forms a guide extension 20, working in theguide-opening 2l, formed in the outer side ot' the U-shapedbracket-plate 22. The U-shaped bracket-plate 22 is provided at itsopposite ends with the attaching flanges or feet 23, which are securedby the bolts 24 to the fastening-lugs 25, formed at the upper and lowersides of the couplin heads or shoes 3, near its rear end, and the upperand lower horizontal portions of the bracket-plate 22 register in therecessed seats 2G, formed in the upper and lower sides of the couplinghead or shoe, in vertical alinement with the lugs 25 and the air-chamber13. The movable piston-plate 16 works within the bracketplate 22 and isprovided with notched upper and lower ends 27, slidably engaging theupper and lower horizontal portions of the bracket-plate 22, to steadythe movement of the piston projection l5, and at its outer side thepiston-plate 16 is provided with a dovetailed seat 28 to receive thereinthe similarlyshaped rear end 11n of the bowed clampingspring 11, therebyproviding aself-adjusting connection between the spring and its head orshoe 3. A clamping-nut 29 works on the bolt 18 at the outer side ot' theend 11FL of the clamping-spring to rigidly fasten such spring to thepiston-plate.

lVhen the cars are uncoupled, the normal atmospheric pressure exists inthe air-chamber 13, so that the clamping-spring 11 is perfectly looseand can freely move in a lateral direction, so that when two cars cometogether equipped with the combined car and air-brake coupling thesprings 11, connected with the opposing heads or shoes 3, will freelyspread away from the inner coupling-faces of said heads or shoes, so asto allow the latter to readily couple or interlock. While the naturalresiliency of the springs 11 will allow said springs to spring partlyopen to assist in the coupling operation, still the lateral play of thesprings is nearly sufiicient to allow the heads or shoes 3 to becompletely coupled together without a dependence upon the resiliency ofthe spring, which, except when subjected to an excessive force, will notreadily spring open.

When two opposing couplingheads or shoes 3 automatically couple togetherin the manner described, the air in the coupled trainpipes passes intothe air-chambers 13 and exerts an outward pressure against the pistonsl5, thereby forcing the rear fastened ends of the springs outward anddrawing the free or unfastened ends of the springs inward, therebyserving to tightly clam p the coupling-faces of the opposing heads orshoes together. Then the cars are drawn apart,the springs 11, with muchless expended force than heretofore, will slide out of engagement withthe heads or shoes clamped thereby and allow the latter to readilyuncouple.

In the use of automatic air-brake couplingheads it is of courseunderstood that communication through the train-pipes 4l: is cut offfrom the heads or shoes when uncoupled, and to effect this result thetrain-pipes have usually fitted thereto, adjacent to the couplings,ordinary cut-off valves 30 of a well-known construction. The cut-offvalve 30 at the end of each car is provided with a stem-extension 31 ICOIIO

on which is fastened one end of a tubular spindle 32, preferablyelliptical in cross-section, as shown vin Fig. 9, and having fittedthereon a wide chain-wheel 33, having an elliptical opening 34 thereinto loosely t the spindle 32, so as to have a slight play, it of coursebeing understood, that the elliptical shape of the spindle 32 and theopening in the chain-wheel 33 preventthe chain-wheel from having anymore than a very limited play. The wide chain-wheel 33 is. provided withseparate sets of sprockets 35, disposed in different horizontal planesand adapted to respectively engage with separate adjustingchains 36,respectively extending in opposite directions from the chain-wheel 33toward opposite sides of the car. The oppositely-extendingadjusting-chains 36 are preferably provided with rod-sections 37, andone of said chains is illustrated as being crossed, so that the samemovement of both chains will turn the chain-Wheel 33 in the samedirection.

The oppositely-extending adj ustin g-chains 36 have their outer portionspass around the adjusting sprocket-wheels 38, mounted for horizontalmovement on the under side of the car-body at directly opposite sidesthereof,and

said sprocket-wheels are only provided with a y sufficient number ofsprockets 30 to insure the proper movement of the chains Saidsprocket-wheels 38 have pivotally or other- Wise connected with theirunder sides the hand-levers 40, which are easily manipulated fromopposite sides of the car to provide for an oscillation of the wheels 38and the consequent turning of the chain-wheel 33 to open and close thevalve 30, thereby entirely dispensing with the necessity of goingbetween or under the cars for the purpose of controlling the valves 30.The tubular spindle 32 is provided at one end with an angled stopfinger4l, which plays between a pair of stop projections 42 on the casing ofthe valve 30 to prevent the valve turning too far in the opening andclosing thereof.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention. j

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a coupling of the class described, an

automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe carrying a clamp, and meansfor tightening the said clamp against a companion head or shoe by theair-pressure of the air-brake system, substantially as set forth.

2. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe carrying a clamping-sprin g having a movable connection atone end with the head or shoe, and means for automatically tighteningthe clamping-spring, independent of its sprihg action, against thecompanion head or shoe, substantially as set forth.

3. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe having'a clamp supported to move bodily in a lateraldirection when moved against by a companion head or shoe, and means forautomatically tightening said clamp against the companion head orshoe,substantially as set forth.

4. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe carrying at its rear end a movably-supported clamp, andmeans for tightening said clamp against a companion head or shoe by theairpressure of the air-brake system,substantially as set forth.

5. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe, a clamp for a companion head or shoe having a slidingconnection at one end'with said head or shoe, and means forautomatically adjusting said sliding connection by air-pressure when thetwo heads or slices are coupled together, substantially as set forth.

6. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe having a fluid-passage therethrough, a fluidchamber formedin one side, and a fluid-port connecting the air-chamber and saidfluidpassage, and a clamp for a companion head or shoe carrying at oneend a piston working in said fluid-chamber, isubstantially as set forth.

7. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe provided with a fluid-passage therethrough, an air-chamberin one side, and a port connecting the said chamber and Huid-passage,and a bowed clamping-spring working opposite the inner coupling-face ofthe coupling head or shoe and carrying at its inner end a ber,substantially as set forth.

8. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe provided with a fluid-passage therethrough, an air-chamberin one side near its rear end, and a port connecting said chamber andfluidpassage, a bowed clamping-spring working opposite the innercoupling-face of the head or shoe, an offstanding bracket-platedetachably clamped to the outer side of the coupling head or shoe, amovable piston-plate working within said bracket-plate and having asliding connection with the upper and lower horizontal portions thereof,said piston-plate having a seat at one side to receive the rear end ofthe bowed clamping-spring, and provided at its opposite side with acircular piston projection loosely working in said airchainbcr, aflexible packing-cup fitted against the inner side of the pistonprojection, and a bolt passed through the piston-plate and itsprojection to clamp the rear end of the spring and the packing-cupthereto, and provided with an outer guide extension working in agnideopening in the outer side of said bracket-plate, substantially asset forth.

ICO

piston loosely working within said air-cham- IIO coupling head or shoe,and the train-pipe connected With said head or shoe; of a cut-off valvearranged in the line of the train-pipe and having a stem extension, aspindle fitted t at one end to said stem extension, a Wide chain-Wheelfitted on said spindle and having separate sets of sprockets disposed indifferent horizontal planes, lever-adjusted sprocket-Wheels mounted forhorizontal movement on the under side of a car-body and at directlyopposite sides of such body, and

separate adjusting-chains engaging the separate sets of sprockets of thechain-Wheel and r 5 respectively extending in opposite directions andengaging With the oppositely-located sprocket-Wheels, substantially asset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in 2o the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN H. SIGGERS, THEODORE DALTON.

